Beehive 5 Under 25 Awardee | Paige Morgan

Congratulations to the 2018 Beehive 5 Under 25 Awardees!

USEE is pleased to announce the 2018 Awardees of the first annual Beehive 5 Under 25 recognition program! Modeled after NAAEE's 30 Under 30, the Utah Beehive 5 Under 25 program recognizes individuals, 25 years old or younger, who are game changers in their communities. These young people are taking on leadership positions to make a difference for the planet. They are engaging their communities, building relationships, and using the power of education to create change.

These youth are also recognizing the importance of diversity, inclusion, and equity and applying those principles to their work.

We asked our 2018 Beehive 5 Under 25 to answer the following questions:

Paige Morgan, Logan (from Bakersfield, CA)

Tell us a bit about your professional and personal background. What is your current professional role, particularly as it relates to environmental education?

On the weekends, my husband and I have been volunteering at a local organic farm. For this summer I am working for a marketing agency who's main clientele are republican/conservative politicians. I am hoping this job gives me better insight into multiple perspectives, therefore allowing my future environmental endeavors to be more effective, long lasting, and accepted. My environmental education role at Utah State University just finished in April-May after two years. My title was the recycle and waste intern, and I put my heart and soul into it. In summary, I have raised $13,000 in grants, built a on-campus thrift store from the ground up, and helped many on-campus educational events. To say I'm grateful for the opportunities that have come my way would be an extreme understatement.

What inspired you to become a champion for the environment / environmental education? And/or what motivates you about the work you’re doing?

I grew-up in the not-so-clean city of Bakersfield California. For people who know where/what town I'm speaking of, their first comment is: "Oh, I'm sorry," with a laugh. Back home, my mountains always had a yellow hue over them. For the people who decided to stay and grow old in Bakersfield, their lung health greatly suffered, resulting sometimes in coughing that sprinkled blood. Then, when I was 19, I volunteered with a trail maintenance company in Utah and fell in love with mother nature. Helping the environment is a hot topic in Southern California, but there's very little uncrowded environment to appreciate. This contrast of knowing what can happened to our cities, and what beauty we still can protect/keep, is what motivates me.

What advice would you give to the next generation of leaders that are looking to bring about positive change in their communities through EE?

My advice would be to simply listen and observe before you speak or act.

Who do you look up to as inspiration for your work?

I look up to my community leaders, friends, and husband for inspiration for my work. Right now, the best thing I can do is to bring support to my community leaders so they can do their job better. I inform my friends and husband about what I learn and they help me in turn. It's a cycle I hope to continue.

What pro-environmental behavior do you think would make a big impact if everyone in the world started doing it?

I think we would solve a lot of environmental problems if we just listen better to everyone's concerns. Emotions and pride prevent a lot of progress from happening. I've found listening does the best to cancel both of these.

What is USEE?

The Utah Society for Environmental Education (USEE), a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit, has been a statewide leader in promoting high quality environmental education in Utah since 1981. USEE encourages environmental literacy by teaching Utahans how to think, not what to think, about the environment.